Locomotive sander



J. FRAN TZ. LOCOMOTIYE SANDER. APPLICATION nuao MAY 26, 1921.

Patented. Mar. 14, 1922.

JAMES FERN 'L- attuned,

Umra err JAMES FRANTZ, or ROANOKE, IRGINIA, AssIGnoR T0 WHITE-AMERICAN Locoiuo TIVE SANDER COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, CORPORA- TION or VIRGINIA.

Application filed May 26,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJAMEs FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Sanders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotive sanders and among the objects is to provide a pneumatic or other fluid pressure sander and valve arrangement whereby either of'two sets of sanders may be operated independently of each other, the arrangement being such that a single valve will control both sets of sanders. Another object is to provide a sander and sander valve arrangement having means for pneumatically cleaning the sander automatically before and after each opera tion of the sander, the parts being so arranged as to permit the sanding operation to be effected continuously for any lengthof time desired without'the attendance of the engineman to hold the sanding valve in sanding position, but at the same time to prevent the valve from being left standing in cleaning position. It is desirable to continue the sanding operation over more or less time and it is accordingly desirable that the parts of such an outfit should be arranged to continue in operation Without the atten tion of the enginemen. It is undesirable, however, where sanders are provided with a pneumatic cleaning device, to permit the sanding valve to stand in cleaning position without the knowledge of the attendants.

lVastage of compressed air and undesired application of the air brakesmay result from neglect ofthis precaution. The present invention has accordingly among its objectsto provide a mechanism whereby such unde sired operation cannot occur. A further object is to provide a valve specially constructed andarranged for use with locomotive sanders of the fluid pressure type and also to provide improved connections and cooperating parts whereby an effective sanding outfit may be applied to modern locomotives.

The invention consists of the formation, combination and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of the inven- LOCOMOTIVE SAND R.

Specification bf Letters Patent. P t ted a 14, 9

1921; Serial No. 472,668.

with various of the connecting pipes indicated. Figure 2 is a partial side elevational view and partial sectional view of the sander valve.- Figure 3 is a plan View of the top of the sander valve. Figures 4, 5 and 6, are

transverse horizontal sectionstaken through the body ofthe sander valve on .theline 4-4,

line 5-5 and 66 respectively. Figure 7is a perspective view of one of the valve-operating plungers, Figure 8a,perspe'ctive view Y of one of the pistons, Figure 9 a perspective View of one of the wing-valves and Figure 1-0 aperspective view of the valve handle. In the four last mentioned views the parts are shown detached from the valve; Figure 11 is a diagrammatic View showing how the valve. is applied for use with pneumatic sanders on a locomotive. Z

The sander to be used may be of any detailed form having asanding jet and a clean ing jet,.but is preferably of the form' shown in the White Patent No; 1,263,722 issued Aprilg23, 1918; Such sanders are shown atl and 2m Figure 11, sander 1 being arranged for rearward motion and the sander '2 for forward motion. Similar; sanders would be provided onthe opposite side of the locomotive for sandingthe wheelsunder.

that side. ":The sand dome 3 is commonto' all locomotives Leading-{from the sand dome; to the sanders 1 and 2 is abran'ch pipe 4 which conveys sand from the dome to valve 6 to the sanding jet of the sander 1,1, 5

-5 to the sanding jetof the rearward motion a branch pipe 7 leading from the main pipe A similanarrangement 0.6. 90

sander on the opposite side of the-locomotive.

Av pipe 8 withIa branch pipe 9 conveys fluid pressure from the other leg of the sanding.

valve to the sanding jets of: the forward motion sander. A pipe 10 with aQbranch pipe 11 conveysfiuid pressure from one leg of the sanding valve to the cleaning jet of the sander l and to the cleaning jet of the rearward motion sander on the other side of the locomotive. A similar pipe 12 with a branch pipe 13 conveys fluid pressure from the other leg of the sanding valve to the cleaning jet of the sander 2 and to the cleaning jet of the forward motion sander on the other side of the locomotive.

The sander valve is arranged with two legs 14: and 15, the leg 14 being provided for the control of the forward motion sander and the leg 15 for the rearward motion sander. A control lever 16 actuates the mechanism in either leg of the valve. \Vhen in midposition as shown in Figure 2 both valves are closed and both sets of sanders are inoperative. When the control lever 16 is moved the valve in Figure 9.

to an extreme position to the right it depresses the valve plunger 17 and actuates the valve mechanism in the leg 1 1, thereby admit-ting fluid pressure to the forward motion sanders in a manner later to be described. When the control lever 16 is moved to the left it depresses the valve plunger 18 thereby admitting fluid pressure to the rearward motion sanders. The control lever is pivoted to the body of the valve at 19 by means of the trunnion bolt 20 and it can be rotated for alimited distance about this point as a center in either direction. By means of valve springs such as 21, one of which is disposed at the lower extremity of each leg of the valve, the lever always tends to return to andstand in normal position where both sets of sanders are shut off from the source of fluid pressure.

The construction and operation of the sander valve'is as follows A pipe 22 leads from a source of fluid pressure such as the main reservoir and is connected to the sander valve at'23. The opening 23 is located in a hollow bridge 24: which connects the two legs of the sanderand is in open fluid communication with the air supply cavities such as 25 at the bottom of each leg. It will be understood that the'two legs are identical in construction and arrangement and a description'of one of them will therefore serve for both. Disposed within the cavity 25 and seating upward against a valve seat 26 is a wing valve 27 which is shown detached from Disposed beneath the'valve 27 and normally holding the same against the seat 26 is the spring 21. The lower-end of the cavity 25 is closed by a screw plug 28 against which the lower end of the spring 21 reacts. Air from the pipe 22 has at all times free access to the cavities 25 and up to the valve seats 26 in each of the legs of the sander valve. Immediately'abovethe valve seat 26 is an axially aligned air-distribut-ing cavity 29 into which air from the cavity 25 is admitted when the valve 27is depressed in a manner later described. From this cavity an unrestricted opening 30 extends and to this opening in the leg 15 is attached pipe 5 for conveying air to the sanding jets of the rearward motion sander. From the similar opening 31 in the leg 14 pipe 8 extends for conveying air to the sanding jets of the forward mot-ion sanders. Leading also from the cavity 29 in the leg 15 is an opening 32 to which is attached pipe 10 which conveys fluid pressure from the leg 15 to the cleaning jets of the rearward mo tion sanders. A similar arrangement exists in leg 14: for the connection of the pipe 12 which conveys fluid pressure from the leg 14 to the cleaning jets of the forward motion sanders.

In operating the valve to cause a sanding operation for rearward motion the handle 16 is drawn back to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. This depresses the extension 33 of the lever 16 which in turn contacts the upper-end of the valve plunger 18, the lower end of which, seating upon the top of the piston 35' depresses it in the cavity 29. Extendingdownward from the lower end of the piston '35 is a rod 36 which bears upon the top of the wing valve 27, so that as the piston 35 is depressed as aforesaid, the valve 27 will be unseated and air will be admitted from the 'cavity 25 to the cavity 29 and thencethrough the openings 30 and 32 and the pipes 5 and 10, to the sanding jets and the cleaning jets of the rearward motion sanders. The piston 35 is arranged with respect to the ports of the opening 32 to overtravel these ports when the limit of travel of the lever 16 is reached, thus blanking off the opening 32 and preventing the flow of air to the cleaning jets. Furthermore. the lever 16 is arranged with a spring lock 37 that slides upon a quadrant 38 formed upon thebody of the valve. Vhen the lever 16 has reachedthe limit of its travel the lock 37 drops in place at the end of the quadrant 38 and thereby prevents the return of the valve parts to normal closed positions until desired by the attendant, the valve thus beinglocked in a position where fluid pressure will be continually admitted to the. sanding jets of the rearward motionsanders but not to the cleaning jets, the opening 32 bein blocked off by the piston 35. 'VVhe'n it is-de sired to stop the sanding operation the thumb plunger 39 in the upper end of the handle is depressed, and this, through the i connecting rod 40 which passes through a valve 27.; The'parts are so arranged that the lock 37 will be slid upon the lower "face of the quadrant 38, and will. not hold the-parts from seatingexcept whenthe lock 37 is seatedbackof the end ofthe quadrant 38 as afore described; The plunger 18 passes through a stufling box 42which may-be suitably packed to prevent abnormal air, leakage. The -pi'ston'35 maybe formed with a ring groove'or a water groove43. A spring 41 maybe used beneath the thumb plunger 39 to cause the lock 37 to drop into position at the end of the quadrant'38. i

A similar series of parts are located an arranged in the leg l l of the'valve and these are supplied for, the control of the forward motion sanders. The operation is identical, the lever 16 being moved to an extreme forward position, thereby depressing the plunger 17 through the lever extension 34:.

By means of the present Valve with its arrangement of piping and sanders, I have produced a mechanism that is especially suited to the art of sanding the modern locomotive. Two sets of sanders are controlled with a single valve, the control members being moved in one direction for energizing one set of sanders and in another direction for energizing the outer set of sanders. Wastage of air is prevented when used with sanders having air cleaning jets by making it impossible to leave the valve stand in position where air will be needlessly blown out through the cleaning jets. At the same time the desirable feature of automatically securing a cleaning blast before and after each sanding operation is maintained.

I have thus described an embodiment of my invention. Other embodiments are contemplated. within the scope of the appended,

claims. without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a pneumatic sander for locomotives having a sanding jet and a cleaning jet of a valve arranged to admit fluid pressure to the sanding jet at one time and to the cleaning jet at another time, there being means connected with the valve for causing the same to stand unattended in sanding position and to prevent its standing unattended in cleaning position.

2. The combination with a locomotive having forward motion and rearward motion sanders of the pneumatic type, of a valve arranged to control the flow of fluid pressure to the sanders, the said valve having a control handle capable of movement in opposite directions from a mid-positionwherein all fluid pressure is cut ofi from the sanders, the parts being so formed and connected that when the said handle is moved in either direction out of said mid-position fluid pressure "will be admitted to the cleaning jets of one of the sets or the sanders and coincidentally therewith to the sanding jets thereof, but-not to either ofthe j-ets of the-otherset of sanders. f '-'3.'The combination with a 'locomotive having [a plurality of pneumatic sanders with sanding jets and cleaning jets arranged in sets, of a valve arranged to control=the flow offluid 'pressureto the said jets the said -val-ve having a control member and'being so 'arranged that a slightmovementof the controlin'ember in oneldirectionwill-admit fluid pressure to the cleaning jets and to the sanding jets ofjone set of 'sanders, a'nd fi'irther'movement thereof in the-sameidi rection,-"to the sanding j ets-on'ly of the same set of: sanders, and: that similar movements in the opposite direction will similarly control the flow of fluid pressure to the jets of the other set of sanders.

4. The combination with a locomotive having fluid pressure sanders arranged in two sets, of a valve adapted to control the flow of fluid pressure to the said sanders, the said valve being'formed in two parts bers contained within each part, each of the two parts of the valve being arranged to control a set of sanders, there being a singlesupply of fluid pressure leading to the valve and a single operating handle for controlling both parts of the valve.

5. The combination with a locomotive having pneumatic sanders of a valve adapt-. ed to control the flow of fluid pressure thereto, the said valve having a plurality of legs with mechanism operable therein, one of which is arranged-. to control each of the sanders, and a common control member for all the legs operable upon any of the legs 1 at the election of the attendant.

6. In a locomotive sander valve, a valve body, a lever mounted thereupon, an air valve within the valve body, a plunger extending through the valve body in position 1 to be depressed by movement of the said lever, a piston actuated by movement of the phuiger, the said air valve being operativelyconnected to the piston, an'air supply chamher at one side of the air valve and an air distributing chamber at the other side there of, a plurality ofoutlets leading from the distributing'chamber, one of whichv is susceptible of closure by a predetermined movement of the, said piston.

"7. A locomotive sanding arrangementim eluding a sander having a sanding jet and 1 a cleaning jet. a source of fluid pressure, a valve disposed in the fluid pressure supply line,1the same having a supply chamber and a distributin chamber, thesupply chamber being in open fluid communication with the" source of fluid pressure and there being a normally closed admission valve between the two chambers, a fluid pressure communica- 1'30 tion-between the distributing chamber and the sanding jet and another between the distributingchamber and the cleaning jet, and means operable with the said admission valve for-closing ofi" the communication between v the distributing chamber and the cleaning jet after a predetermined move ment of the admission valve.

8. In a: locomotive sanding arrangement of the;- pneumatic type having a plurality of sanding jets,'a valve body, a plurality of valves operatively arranged Within the said valve body, a single control member extending outsideof the valve body for controlling all of saidvalves, one of the said valvesbeing arranged to control the admission of fluid pressure to the valve body, and

another to control its distribution there, from to the various sander jets oi the locomotive. V

9. In a locomotive sandervalve, a valve body having a cavity therein, a piston valve JAMES FRANTZ. 

